CHOSEN: A Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Dystopian Novel (18 page)

The
others were quietly trying to process the unusual and surreal exchange.

“Do
you think he’s trying to get the information we have on the files without
getting in trouble?” asked Alexis. 

“It’s
possible. Can you find out who else he works for or who his connections are, Alexis?”
Stephen asked.

“Are
you all really asking that question? You do realize he said Mave was our
Keeper, assigned to us? Isn’t that weird? And he is assigned to Marco and
Alexis?! Doesn’t it bother you that we have…stalkers?” Stella said with concern.
“And we aren’t supposed to speak to anyone about it? Doesn’t that sound strange
too?” she added, waving her hands in the air for effect.

“Yeah,
it does sound strange, but I trust Mave. She’s always been there for us Stella.
Even when mom couldn’t be,” Stephen said defensively.

“I
think it’s all fine and good we’ve got some really important mission to do, but
right now we have to open up these files, Marco and I have a small project to
do, and Summer break won’t be here for another month and a half. So, we have other
things we need to worry about, right now,” Alexis told them. “We really don’t have
time to waste.”

“You’re
correct, Alexis. Marco, I need that information as soon as possible. My mom and
her staff are having an important meeting here in the next week or so with the
people who pay for this research center to be here. I need to know if there is
something in those files that can help us make our case. If we don’t...”
Stephen stopped in the middle of his sentence. He didn’t want to even think
about what would happen if they couldn’t make the case. 

“Can
you do it?” Stephen finished.

Marco’s
project with Alexis needed his attention too, but after hearing the problem
from Stephen he thought they might be related.

“Alexis,
I think you can help with this and it might help with what we are working on
too. Stephen needs to get into some files that are protected. When you see the
data there is a folder called Noah. He can access some of the files but there
are a lot that are protected and he can’t get into them. I know if anyone can
get into them, it’s you.” Marco was betting on Alexis not being able to resist
a challenge like that. 

Alexis
thought about it for a moment. “If you think it’ll help us figure out what we
have going on from the other project, I’ll help. Send me what you have Stephen,”
she said, almost happily.

“It’ll
be easier for you to get it from Marco. He has it. Once you get in, send it
back using a scrambled source,” Stephen instructed.

Alexis
rolled her eyes at Stephen’s request. “I know. Do you think I’m stupid?” she
asked rhetorically.

“No.
Not at all. You wouldn’t already be in university if you were stupid,” he
answered seriously.

“Guys,
we gotta go. Thanks for helping, Alexis and Marco. It was good seeing you,
Alexis. We’ll talk soon.” Stella broke the connection and looked at Stephen. “Not
every question deserves an answer.”

“I
know you are special Stella, but there isn’t anything particularly special
about me?” Stephen said still considering why he was a part of the chosen
group.

“What
do you mean. Of course there is. That brain of yours and I need you to go ahead
and turn it on for me. Help me make some connections and figure out what this
is all about,” Stella said, smiling at Stephen as she tried to cheer him up.

Stephen
turned everything off, double-checking that he wasn’t connected to anything. He
then rolled his chair away from his desk so he could face Stella. She sat
perched on the edge of her bed, hands on her chin, leaning forward expectantly.
He’d already been making connections in his head. He didn’t think the same way
most people did and it sometimes made it hard to tell others what he was
thinking, including Stella.

“Stephen,
what if there are no accidents, no random coincidences? Like Mr. Pritchard said
about us all being connected somehow. What if it’s planned and we are just
players in a game?”

Stephen
was curious about where Stella was going with this. “Yes. I’m listening,” he said,
willing to listen to her. 

“So
if there are no accidents or random coincidences, then it must be on purpose
and ordered coincidences,” she added. “Stephen, what if it’s no accident we are
brother and sister? That mom is our mom, dad is our dad? That we were born on
this big block of ice or that our parents head up the ARC? Or that Mave has
always been around? Even before we were born. What if none of that is an
accident or random coincidence?” Stella said curiously, her brain busy.

“That’s
a lot of ifs and that would take a great deal of planning that probably goes
back a few lifetimes or generations. On the other hand, it could be an accident
and a series of random coincidences and we just happened to wind up together at
the right place at the right time with the right parents,” Stephen said not
completely convinced himself it was coincidental. 

Stella
considered that possibility too. “What about Mave? Mr. Pritchard said she was
our Keeper,” she asked.

“She
could have been made our Keeper after we were born or once they knew she was
going to work on the ARC,” Stephen tried to reason.

“But
who is ‘they’?” Stella then retorted. 

Stephen
pondered the question for a moment.

“Come
on Stephen. You are the one who can see all these probabilities. What’s the
probability of all these ifs?” she asked Stephen.

“I
don’t know. Those are past not future probabilities. Those things were in
process before you and I were born.”

“True.
Maybe we should talk to Mave. I’m sure if she is our Keeper she won’t mind,”
Stella suggested. 

“Good
idea. Should we go now?” Stephen asked.

“It’s
too late tonight and in the morning they’ll be dealing with that report. We
should probably wait until things settle down and she has time to talk,” Stella
suggested.

The
sound of a light tap on the door made Stephen quickly disconnect from
everything. He rolled back from Stella’s desk towards her bed where she sat
with the plate of cookies, one in her hand.

“Come
in,” Stella said, taking a bite casually.

Antarctic Research Center

Zura rolled over
reluctantly and looked at the time on her nightstand through blurry eyes. The
time, 5:00 a.m., looked back at her in a glowing blue light. She had barely
slept since she finally crawled into bed beside Johan at one o’clock in the
morning. She’d been tossing and turning throughout the few hours she’d forced
herself to lay in bed. The same dream kept waking her up and she couldn’t shake
it. 

She
managed to find the floor with her feet and shimmy her tired and worn body off
the bed. She slipped on her plush white robe and her slipper boots and opened
the bedroom door. She shuffled through the bedroom door trying not to disturb
Johan who she’d left sleeping on his back, one arm on his stomach the other on
the night stand. Everything happening now would eventually fall on them. Zura
hated the idea that they might have failed these two innocents, and everyone
else.

After
the night he’d had, Zura knew Johan wouldn’t want to wake a moment earlier than
he absolutely had to. He would want to get the extra hour and a half until his
alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. She’d asked her core team to meet her at 7 a.m. in
the science center to finish prepping for what she was certain would be coming
later in the morning.

Zura
walked across the living area to the hall where Stella and Stephen slept to
check on them before they woke for the day. As she passed through their living
quarters on the ARC she was reminded of when it was being built and how her
husband had taken time to help design their unit to her specifications.

Her
children’s bedrooms were next door to each other and just on the other side of
the family room and kitchen. The design of the overall ARC, similar to a
honeycomb meant going around to the other side of their bedroom to Stephen and
Stella’s hall.

As
she approached the first door, she naturally began to tiptoe. She didn’t want
to wake her children. As she got nearer to the door she slowly turned the
handle to peak in on her sleeping son. She couldn’t believe they’d be sixteen
in what amounted now to just days. She hadn’t even finished plans for the
birthday celebration they were expecting, and this was a big one.

She
turned the handle on Stephen’s door and quietly pushed it open. Stephen nearly
fell out of his chair, hitting the bottom of the desk with his knees as he
stumbled backwards.

“Mom!?”
Stephen gasped.

“Stephen,
what the heck are you doing up at five o’clock in the morning?” Zura demanded.

Stephen
scrambled to close his screen while stuttering something incoherent.

“I
said, what are you doing up at 5:30 in the morning Stephen?” she asked again.

“Umm,
I couldn’t sleep and wanted to get some work done. Why, why are you up?” he
asked back.

“I’m
asking the questions. What are you working on and why are you in such a hurry
to hide it? You know I don’t like secrets or sneaking,” Zura warned.

“I
was just working mom. I wanted to get a jump start on a project that is due
when I get back. It’s an important class, the online science class.  I couldn’t
sleep and figured I’d just do some stuff on it, that’s all,” Stephen tried to
reassure his skeptical mom.

Zura
looked at her son. He was a terrible liar and she knew he was lying. His eye
twitched against his will, under her probing gaze but she wouldn’t press him
this morning. It was too early and he rarely lied. If something was keeping him
up at this time of morning she didn’t want to press him and make him lie about
it more.

She
mostly trusted him, but she’d have Rupert check both the incoming and outgoing
communications and systems that were accessed that morning, as soon as she had
time. Trust but verify was her motto. It was one of the reasons she was where
she was.

“Turn
it off and get some rest for the next hour, okay? You aren’t going to be any
good to us if you are falling over asleep.” She waited for him to lie back in
his bed. “I’ll see you soon,” Zura whispered and closed the door.

She
hoped Stella was sleeping. She turned Stella’s handle to find her asleep on her
bed. Her head was hanging almost over the side and her arms were dangling. She
figured she’d be lucky to see Stella before noon. She gently closed the door
and walked back down their hall and to the small family kitchen.

Zura
needed to feel normal this morning before everything went to hell. She made
herself toast and coffee and ate in silence taking in the view from the windows
above her. The sky was still light. She had to admit she loved that it was
never really dark during the months they were there. It made her feel like she
had all day to get things done. When she finally got back home to Northern
Allegiance she would crash and sleep for a couple of days, but while here, she
couldn’t spare any time.

She
finished her toast and carried her coffee back to her room. She needed to send
the report out before her funders were awake. It would be there mixed in with
the slew of other late night and early morning messages when they checked. It
might help it be a bit more buried and buy them some more time.

She’d
already crafted the message and attached the file. Zura tried to ignore the
feeling in the pit of her stomach as she sent it all off to her contacts at the
science divisions of UniCorps and the World Consensus. Once done, she walked in
circles rethinking through everything. There was nothing left for her to do
before her team’s morning meeting at seven.

Zura
went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She looked tired. She felt old
even if the years didn’t show it. She was in her late forties and suddenly
wondered if she’d somehow made a mistake with the past twenty plus years of her
life. It had been eighteen years with the ARC project and even more preparing
for this role she considered to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Zura
stepped into the hygiene closet and hung her robe on the hook just outside the
closet door. She stood in the middle of the small sanctuary, exposed, as she
stared at the little holes in the walls. She pressed the small red button to
start the sanitizer, letting it do its work as she rested her forehead against
the wall in front of her. After years of having to be strong this was the only
place she ever let herself cry anymore. She slid down to the cool floor with
her hands on her knees and her head down as the foam covered what it could
reach.

Alone
in that room that somehow made everything clean again, she wept. The sanitizer session
ended. Instead of coming out she reached up to the red button, pressing it
again to let it start another round. She had to be on and ready when she
stepped out. She stood up and let the lasers do their job.

Zura
lifted her arms up and placed them against the wall and just let go for a
moment. All she could do now was breathe deeply. When it beeped telling her it
was over this time, she unlocked the door and pushed it open. She reached for
her soft robe and put it back around her, hoping for a little more comfort. 

Zura
could hear the alarm going off and was sure Johan would be coming in soon.
She’d be able to go in the room to dress without worrying about waking him.
Zura could hear him hit the snooze button and she rolled her eyes.

She
walked into the bedroom and got her uniform from the closet, not bothering with
any attempt to be quiet. Coming out of the clothes closet she noticed her dress
from the night before draped over a chair in the bedroom. It had been a
tolerable evening that lasted too long. 

“Johan,
time to get up. You’ve got less than twenty minutes now to be in the science
center,” she nudged him once she had her uniform on. Looking at the time that
now read 6:42, she bristled at the thought that he’d already hit the snooze
once and that she’d spent more time in the restroom than she’d thought.

“And
after your night you are gonna need some coffee before you show your face in
there.”

He
rolled over and moaned. “Ughhhh. I’m getting up. Why the hell did you call a 7 a.m.
meeting today, of all days?” he complained.

“Because,
we are gonna have UniCorps and the World Consensus crawling all up our
backsides in a few hours and I refuse to not be ready. See you there. There’s
still some coffee in the kitchen.” He could see Zura set something down beside
him before she grabbed a folder and walked out of the room, leaving him just
barely sitting up in bed now.

His
head throbbed and he lay back down on the pillow for just a moment to help ease
the pounding and keep the light from the bathroom from making it worse. He shot
up as he heard the sound of the alarm beginning to go off again.
Crap! 6:50
.
He noticed Zura had left him a tiny tablet to take for the headache. He hit the
clock repeatedly trying to turn off the annoying sound before finally dragging
himself out of bed and to the bathroom. “
What a crappy way to start a day
that is already going to be crappy,”
Johan thought. 

The
headache was already starting to go away but the throbbing hadn’t subsided. He
knew Zura wasn’t happy he’d had a few too many drinks, especially with what was
happening and who would be coming that morning.

The
wife in her let him sleep until his alarm went off and gave him something for
the headache. The boss in her expected him to be there on time and ready to
work. If he wasn’t, he’d pay for it with both the wife and the boss. 

Johan
was grateful the sink had running water. He splashed his face with cold water
and walked into the small room to be sanitized. A couple of minutes later he was
out and dressed. He’d done pretty well getting ready all things considered. He
pulled the door open and walked out, letting it close gently behind him. 

He’d
grab a coffee before heading down and make sure Stephen was out of his room
too. He hoped Zura wouldn’t get on him too much for being a minute late. He
knew the kids had been up late talking and catching up.

Stephen
came past the kitchen, walking quickly, as Johan poured himself a large black
coffee. “Good morning, Dad. We’re late,” Stephen said to his dad’s back.

“Morning,
Stephen. Wait up. I’m headed that way,” Johan said. “So, did you have fun last
night?” Johan asked. 

“It
was okay for a grown up party,” Stephen answered. “I’m tired though,” Stephen
added as he checked the time on his watch and hurried his pace.

Johan
just sipped his coffee carefully, trying not to spill it as he walked too
quickly for the headache he was nursing and the coffee. Johan wanted to ask
what he was doing up so late, but just the sound of their voices seemed to bring
the headache pangs back. Instead, he just walked with only the sounds of boots
against the floor, hoping the medicine would take full effect before they hit
the center and that Stephen would be okay just walking together. 

When
Stephen and Johan reached the door to the workroom Zura, Rupert, and Mave
stopped talking and looked at them. Zura then looked at the time. “You’re
late,” she snapped.

“You’re
right. I’m Sorry,” Johan responded. She was his boss right now and the full
team was there.

“I
sent the report soon after I got up this morning. I expect that some of the
executives at UniCorps will be checking their messages when they first get up
and so we might hear from them at any moment, but definitely before they go
into certain profusion of Monday morning meetings. I’m hoping the World
Consensus will be a little slower so we aren’t ambushed all at once. I wouldn’t
bet on it though,” Zura said already pacing lightly.

“I
think we are pretty much ready, Zura,” Mave said trying to bring down the
tension that was already built up.

“Yeah,
but we need a game plan and we need to stick to what we discussed so that we
have measured response that makes sense for them and for everyone else. This
needs to be a win for all. Got it?” Zura reminded everyone as she prepared
herself. Everyone nodded, except Johan, who simply said ‘mmm hmm”. 

“Now,
Rupert, I need you to get the absolute latest reports on earthquake and seismic
activity and where it is happening overlaid with population density. It will be
just about the same as what we gave them but I just want the latest. I need it
in a half hour, okay?” Zura requested. 

“I’m
on it, Z,” Rupert said as he hurried to his workstation.

“Mave,
I need you to call one of your contacts at the Science Institute. I know they
are the main ones tracking the seismic activity and I just want to see if they
can run another report. The last one we got from them showed the same thing. I
just want that confirmation again, in case our funders push back. See what you
can get them to send by 8:30 a.m.,” Zura said, giving her second order.

“Stephen.
You were probably up late working on some models. If I know you, you brought
them and I want to see them. I also need to talk to you,” Zura said.

“Okay.”
Stephen stood holding a memory chip, not sure what to do as his mother then
turned to his father. 

“I
need to see you, alone, in the lab. I’ll be in there in about ten minutes.” Johan
knew what that meant. He looked only slightly better than he felt.